Yemen opposition rejects UN talk calls
‘Saleh should first transfer power to his Vice
President’ :
YEMEN: The Yemeni opposition has rejected requests by a
visiting United Nations envoy to hold talks with the country’s ruling
party, insisting that Ali Abdullah Saleh must step down. “The leaders of
the opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMPs) told the UN envoy Jamal bin
Omar that Saleh should first transfer power to his Vice President
Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi before the commencement of any dialogue between
the JMPs and Saleh’s ruling party General People’s Congress,” Xinhua
quoted an opposition official as saying on Saturday on the condition of
anonymity.
Bin Omar arrived in Yemen on Wednesday on a mission to help end the
long-running political impasse in troubled Yemen. He called on the
ruling party and the opposition to hold a constructive national dialogue
to solve the political crisis in the country. On Thursday, the UN envoy
met with opposition tribal leader Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar, who warned that
the world body’s weak stance in pressing Saleh into a peaceful transfer
of power could lead to a Libyan-style revolution in Yemen.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been staging regular
demonstrations in Yemen’s major cities since a popular revolution began
in late January to end corruption and unemployment in the country and
oust longtime dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh. The use of violence by Saleh
forces has left hundreds of people dead and many more injured, according
to local sources.
On Friday, tens of thousands of Yemenis hit the streets across the
country to express support for the newly established transitional
council, and denounced what they called the US and Saudi domination of
their country’s internal affairs.
Yemeni anti-government youth groups set up a 17-member transitional
council on Saturday to manage the country’s affairs and to lead efforts
to try and force Saleh to relinquish power. Press TV
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